A New Life To Live
by Dixon-Grimess
Summary: The world has been taken over by the undead. Lacy and Susan have been fending for themselves for a while, but what happens when they run into another survivor? Alliances form, love blossoms, the death toll rises, and the walkers just keep coming. But the walking dead aren't the only ones they have to watch out for. Fight the dead, fear the living.
1. Chapter 1

Changing  
Chapter 1

It had been almost two months since the outbreak had started. Families and relationships had been torn apart; literally. Weeks ago, every television and radio station had been saying the same thing: "Find shelter, stock up on supplies, and stay indoors; help is on the way." But help never came. After a while people were getting frantic, running low on food and water. All over the world humans were or making a run for it, only to be met face-to-face with the walking dead.

Rick Grimes was feeling hopeless. He hadn't seen a living person since he had left Morgan and Duane, a father and son that had helped him when he was in need, nearly two weeks earlier. He was making his way through a small suburban town on the outskirts of Atlanta in search of food when he spotted two young women. He watched as they stealthily snuck up behind two lonesome walkers in front of the local bank along the main road. One with an axe, the other with a steel baseball bat. They took the walkers out with ease, letting the bodies fall to the pavement with a dull thud. Rick jogged toward the pair, relieved to find some of the living. The girls spun around and raised their weapons when they heard faint footsteps behind them. They shared confused glances and lowered their weapons slightly, seeing the police uniform that the stranger adorned, staying on guard as the man approached.

"Are you infected?" one asked, tightening her grip on her axe.

"No, no. I'm fine. I haven't been bit." Rick panted while keeping some distance. The two girls let out a sigh of relief and completely lowered their weapons—no longer feeling threatened. "The name's Rick Grimes." He introduced himself while reaching a hand out to shake.

"I'm Lacy, and this is Susan." The girl said, switching the bat to her opposite hand while nodding towards her best friend." Rick shook Lacy's hand and analyzed her features. She had long, wavy red hair that was tied back into a messy ponytail, with beautiful dark green eyes. She had many freckles and a round, sweet face which gave her a look of innocence, but he was met with a serious gaze that told him she was anything but.

"Nice to meet you Rick." Susan said shyly while reaching out to shake his hand as well. Once Rick got a closer look at her, his mouth unintentionally dropped open. He quickly caught himself and shut it closed.

"It's nice to meet you too, Susan." Rick said while meeting her hand with his own and giving it a firm shake. He stared into her brown eyes that perfectly matched her light brown hair, which flowed past her shoulders. She also had a gentle face, but he didn't see the same hard look in Susan's eyes as he did in Lacy's, and for that he was grateful.

"Are you alone?" Susan asked curiously, a hint of concern in her voice. The two girls had been by themselves for the better part of a month and they knew how hard it could be.

"Matter of fact I am. I heard Atlanta was safe so I've been making my way up there. I stopped here to get some supplies when I saw the pair of you." He explained, nodding his head towards a car parked on a side street nearby.

"Haven't you heard? Atlanta's gone. Everyone showed up when they heard it was safe but when they got there, all hell broke loose. It's a graveyard and there ain't nothing left for you there." Lacy pointed out. She didn't want to give the man false hope. She adjusted the straps of the bag that was slung on her back and looked towards the setting sun before glancing impatiently to her friend.

"Look, we can talk about this later. It's getting dark and we can't stay exposed like this. We need to head back. Are you coming with us, Rick? We wouldn't mind having you around." Offered Susan, an inviting expression on her face. She didn't know Rick but she felt a sense of security with him, a need to trust him. She could tell that Lacy didn't feel as comfortable with him as she did, but that's how Lacy was with everyone-even before the end of the world. Susan would find a great guy who would act like a real gentleman and Lacy would point out all his flaws. She didn't do it to be rude or to cause trouble; she was just always blunt with Susan. Lacy just wasn't interested in those types of people. She seemed to prefer the more rugged men; the men who didn't do very well in school but could tie a knot in ten different ways or hunt a deer with ease. She liked a man who lived by his own rules, one that didn't have all the drama that she didn't care for. And Rick didn't seem like that kind of man. But that didn't bother Susan one bit.

"That's a very gracious offer and I appreciate it. I'd love to join the both of you, if Lacy doesn't mind of course. I have guns and ammo from my station that I would be more than willing to share with the two of you."

"Do whatever you'd like, just stay out of my way. I'll take a shotgun if you've got one. Don't slow us down." Lacy replied quickly before walking off in the direction of his car. "You coming or what?" Susan gave Rick an apologetic look before they made their way to the vehicle. It was a long drive back to the small bungalow that the girls had taken over. The ride was quiet; they had the windows down and the wind blowing on their faces, forgetting all their worries, if only just for a minute.

Once arriving at the place Lacy and Susan had come to call "home", Susan gave Rick a short tour of the house while Lacy began cooking a meal that consisted of canned peas, carrots, corn, and some left-over raccoon meat from the night before. It was satisfying and surprisingly good. After dinner, the three of them sat together in the living room, surrounded by blankets and candles that were found laying around. Rick gazed around the house and noticed that the girls had a real good set-up. The windows and back door were very well boarded up, and they seemed to have plenty of food, water and other useful supplies to last them a while. During the night, they would always push a tall dresser in front of the front door to make the house even more secure. Rick was impressed and definitely felt fortunate for finding these two young ladies. He leaned back against the couch and put his arms behind his head. Rick was blessed to be reunited with real humans again and sent a large smile toward Susan when he realized she'd been watching him.

Three weeks had passed since Rick had officially joined the duo. During that time, Lacy and Susan had found out that Rick was married and had a young son named Carl. He had explained to them that he was in a coma after him and his partner/best friend, Shane Walsh, had been called into a car chase. He'd been shot by a hidden passenger within the vehicle and hadn't woken up until after the undead had taken over the world. He was taken in by a man and his son, Morgan and Duane, who saved him from an attack. He learned what had happened and how to defend himself against the walkers. After spending only a couple of days with them, Rick departed and began heading toward Atlanta in search of his wife and son—sending his best wishes to the kind, generous man and his hopeful son. Rick had traveled by himself for quite a while before he finally came in contact with Susan and Lacy.

He was very much enjoying the time spent with his new friends and continued to grow feelings for Susan day by day. Susan helped him think less and less of his wife and had him feeling happy and whole once again. The feelings were mutual with Susan—for as cliché as she knew it sounded, she had never felt the same way with a man before. She was picky when it came to choosing boyfriends, but Rick was filling a large, empty space that had been building up inside of her ever since hell found its way to earth—which she was glad of.

Over time, Rick seldom thought of his wife. He accepted the fact that his family was in a better place now and decided he would move on. His relationship with Susan had developed substantially. While the three of them had been staying in the little bungalow on the outskirts of Atlanta, Rick and Susan had made love to each other on countless occasions. Lacy was aware of their relationship, but showed no sign of jealousy and kept her distance when the two were having a moment. Lacy would often busy herself by going on long walks and hunting nearby for meat to share with the other two. She loved getting out of the house to clear her mind and to spend some time alone.

Two more weeks had passed and the three of them knew that they're supplies were almost coming to an end. The walkers had been few and far between when they had first come to the bungalow, easily taken care of. But the more time they spent there, the more walkers started showing up. Atlanta must have been a lost cause if the walkers had run out of food and were leaving the city, which meant it would soon be too risky to stay where they came to love the home that they'd adopted, but knew it was time for them to pack up and begin searching for a new place to live, to find more supplies and more game to hunt somewhere else. They packed their bags into the car and headed out, leaving the house behind. They began their journey to find someplace new while trying to stay under the walkers' radar, squatting in abandoned houses along the way.

"I'm starving and I'm extremely tired. Can we please take a rest for the night?" complained Susan while huffing and puffing behind Lacy and Rick.

"Yeah, sure. Let's find a place to make camp for the night in the forest over there." Lacy said while pointed toward a dark collection of trees just south of where they stood. Susan and Rick nodded, and began following Lacy through the forest, weapons at the ready.

That night, after finding a comfortable looking place to rest, they built a small fire that was small enough that it couldn't be easily spotted by any stray walkers. They had a solid meal; Lacy had caught a coyote in a trap she had made earlier in the day along with some canned beans they had found while looting. They talked casually about themselves as they ate, learning even more about each other.

Rick learned that Lacy was nineteen years old and had recently graduated high school with Susan. Lacy was one of those girls that didn't like asking for help; when she needed something done she did it herself, and if she didn't know how, she'd learn. She was stubborn, anti-social and preferred to be alone. She had lived in a small town a few hours away from where they were. Lacy had lost her parents in a car accident three years before, so she lived with her three older brothers. They taught her everything she knew, from hunting to fixing cars. She had been separated from her brothers shortly after the world went to shit and had been on her own for a while before finding Susan. Susan and Lacy had grown up as next door neighbours and had gone to school together, they were inseparable. It was a shock to find each other and they had stuck together ever since.

Susan's background was a little different. Though she and Lacy were best friends, they were almost complete opposites. Susan was extremely social and hated the thought of being alone and often relied heavily on the help of others. She tried hard and was successful in school; she had been accepted to Harvard University the summer after her high school graduation. If the apocalypse never occurred, that's exactly where she'd be right now.

As Rick and Susan settled down, preparing for a couple of hours of shut-eye, all that could be heard was the rustling of leaves being tossed around by a light breeze and the faint howl of a coyote. The fire they had made had burned down to coals and Lacy perched close by, taking the first watch. She didn't like to put her guard down, taking the first watch every night, and waking first in the morning to hunt. Her brothers had taught her to stay alert and only sleep when it was necessary, so that's exactly what she did. They had taken her camping all the time when she was a child and she had spent more time outdoors than in. It's where she preferred to be, outside and on her own.

Susan slowly began to doze off, all she could picture was the night her worst nightmare had become reality. Susan and her family had gone out for dinner for her father's 52nd birthday at an expensive restaurant where they had their first encounter with the undead. The dinner was going well until an elder man walked into the restaurant, his eyes sunken and his walk careless. A waiter approached the man, trying to help him to a seat. That's when the man grabbed hold of the waiter and took a huge chunk out of his neck. The old man left the restaurant with the waiter's flesh still clenched between his teeth. Everyone screamed in horror as the paramedics arrived and witnessed the assumed dead waiter rise up off the floor, his eyes a different colour and his breathing ragged. As they fled to the safety of their home, the radio in the car announced a worldwide alert: the dead were walking. Once arriving at their house, they boarded up the windows and collected all the food, water, and other necessities available. Her father took Susan aside; she being the oldest, leaving her with the most responsibility. He gave her a .22 calibre handgun, which she still carries around with her today. Her father told her to keep herself safe and to trust her instinct, knowing very well that he and his wife wouldn't always be there to protect her and her younger brother and sister.

Susan was awoken a couple of hours later by Lacy shaking her shoulders. "Susan, wake up!" Lacy hissed.

"Huh, what? What's wrong?" Susan mumbled slowly.

"There's someone over there. Look! You see it?" Lacy said as Rick was waking up having heard all of the commotion. Susan sat up and adjusted her eyes, searching deep into the darkness of the woods.

"Lace, it's probably just a stray. Wait until it gets closer and go put it out of its misery quietly so we don't attract any others." Susan replied patiently.

"It ain't a walker. I'm gonna go check it out. Stay here." She whispered. She knew it wasn't a walker and she wasn't going to let whoever it was go without investigating. She grabbed her shotgun, which had become a part of her arm, and put a finger to her lips before she disappeared into the darkness. Lacy had trained herself to move silently; her feet hitting the ground without a sound. She followed the figure for a few minutes and when she was close enough she slowed her pace, staying behind the trees for protection. But she stepped on a twig. The man spun around, his weapon at the ready.

"Put your weapon down." Lacy demanded calmly. They watched each other carefully but didn't move. In the pale moonlight Lacy could faintly make out the stranger in front of her. The man was tall and had dark hair, he wore a sleeveless shirt and a leather vest. She tried to see his expression but it was too dark.

"You bit?" He asked, ignoring her instruction. He could see her red hair and the shotgun pointed at his face and not much else; she was partly hidden behind a tree. He shifted awkwardly as he waited for her response.

"No, of course not. Where'd you come from? I haven't seen other survivors in weeks, are you alone?" Lacy questioned. They had covered a lot of distance and hadn't seen a single survivor in over three weeks. She was nervous and excited, making sure she kept her gun steady and her voice firm. Maybe there was hope.

"I ain't alone. I got a group not too far from here. I was huntin'. You scared my rabbit away! What's your name anyway?"

"The name's Lacy. There are three of us set up just over there; I can give you some coyote to make up for the rabbit. You won't find much else this time of night." She lowered her gun so that it faced the ground and waited for his response. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and looked at her wearily.

"Yeah, alright. Name's Daryl. Daryl Dixon."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lacy led the man to where Susan and Rick waited. Rick had stoked the coals of the fire and added some wood he had found, lighting the area around them. When they approached, Rick and Susan stood quickly and kept a hand on their guns, a look of panic in their eyes. Lacy raised a hand to calm them and looked back at Daryl to let him know it was safe. The pair lowered their weapons and resumed what they were doing. Lacy laid her shotgun down next to her as she sat on the ground, the safety on. She grabbed some coyote meat and handed it to Daryl, a sweet but wary look on her face. He hadn't been able to see her face clearly before and was taken aback by her features. She had intense green eyes that pierced him, a look of authority and power deep within them. He cleared his throat and took a seat next to her.

"Thanks." He said quietly, eating the meat faster than he wanted to; he hadn't eaten in days. Lacy handed him another portion of meat without uttering a word; there was plenty to go around. As he ate he studied her face more. Daryl noticed small scars and freckles scattered over her pale cheeks. There were more scars on her arms, the old wounds shadowed slightly by the fire. The sleeves of her plaid shirt rolled up; she had nothing to hide. He unconsciously touched a scar of his own, a large line running down his forearm. He silently looked over the other two, trying to sense if they were a threat. The girl glanced over at him and gave a small smile.

"So what's your name?" Susan asked, trying to make him feel more comfortable.

"Daryl. Yours?" He nodded towards both her and Rick. He had finished his coyote meat and proceeded to lick his fingers as he waited for them to respond. He never had table manners and wasn't going to pick them up now.

"I'm Susan, and this is Rick. Where'd you come from anyways?" She wondered. Inside, she was praying that there was a refuge somewhere. She shifted her position to get comfortable.

"Not too far up the road, by the old quarry. Got a group, 'bout twenty or so people. I don't know how the hell y'all survived this long on your own."

Lacy scoffed, "Barely; been living in abandoned houses until recently. Too many walkers coming out of the city so we packed up. Sticking to the trees, staying off the highway. We've been starving. This coyote was pure luck; the damn biters have been snatching up all the game. We're still alive at least."

"Y'all should come back with me to my camp. I ain't usually kind to no strangers but y'all seem alright. We got food and water, for now at least." Offered Daryl. It was true; he wasn't kind to strangers, even before the outbreak. But there was something different about the trio.

"Are you serious? That would be great! We'll set off in the morning!" Susan exclaimed happily. She could finally get proper rest; maybe even get to clean up. It had been so long since she had felt clean and she smiled at the possibility as she lay down. Rick simply nodded his thanks to Daryl and smothered the coals of the fire. He grabbed his gun and got in position to keep watch. Breathing a sigh of exhaustion, Lacy settled down for some rest, her gun close at hand. The night was quiet, a relief from the days' stresses.

In the morning they set off, following Daryl back to his camp. The camp was just three miles away, making good time as they went. Along the way they were stopped by a few strays, but nothing they couldn't handle. Daryl had shown Lacy how to navigate using the position of the sun, something her brothers hadn't taught her.

They made it to the camp by noon, the sun high in the sky. Cars were parked everywhere, tents set up all around. People were scattered all over the camp; some cooking, some doing laundry, others repairing equipment. They approached warily, not knowing the reception they would get. Daryl jogged ahead and spoke to a dark-haired man, one with authority it seemed. The man walked over with a smile; until he saw Rick. The man covered his mouth with his hand and stared wide-eyed.

"R-R-Rick? Is that really you?" He asked, his hands trembling.

"Shane?!" Rick exclaimed, a broad smile forming on his face as he closed the distance between them and enveloped his best friend in a tight embrace. Shane gripped his partner fiercely, not believing what was happening. Through tears of joy, Rick lifted his eyes to see the group gathering around them. He released Shane and wiped at his eyes hastily, composing himself slightly before facing the strangers.

That's when he saw them. A small boy had pushed his way to the front of the crowd along with a tall woman. "DAD?!" The boy screamed, running towards Rick as quick as his legs could take him. Rick dropped to his knees in disbelief, fresh tears spilling onto his cheeks. The boy crashed into him and he cradled the child, kissing his forehead over and over. Before he knew it, a second pair of arms were around him. His wife, Lori, grabbed his face and met his lips with a feverish urgency. Rick had never felt such joy in his life. He found his family.

That night was a joyous occasion. The group at the quarry welcomed Susan, Lacy, and Rick warmly and made sure they were comfortable. Lacy and Susan were given a tent to share, and they were given extra clothes while their own were being washed. Rick had joined Lori and Carl in their tent, and the smile hadn't left his lips. Susan made quick friends with some of the other campers and kept herself busy with whatever they needed help with, a fake smile painted on her face. She tried not to think about Rick, but it was getting more difficult as time went on. Lacy kept her distance, speaking when spoken too and hunting on her own. She had no interest in a large group. They were exposed, vulnerable.

Ever since Rick had found his wife and son, he had barely gotten the chance to converse with Susan. He knew what he had to do, but was having such a hard time on deciding what words were the most suitable. As the newcomers sat around a campfire along with the original members of the group, they spoke about their pasts and how hard it was adjusting to a new way of living. Rick sat across from Susan and continued to stare at her with an upsetting look in his eyes. He gave Lori a quick kiss on the cheek, stood up and signaled Susan to follow him away from the fire for some privacy. They walked a few hundred metres away from everyone else in total silence. Once Rick decided they were far enough, he stopped and whirled around to face Susan.

"Listen," He began while releasing a heavy sigh. "The last thing I ever expected was to be reunited with my wife and son again. But you need to know that I love them very much and I…" he paused mid-sentence and checked his surroundings quickly. "We can't be doing the things that we used to do anymore. And we can't mention any of it to anyone else, okay? It would just bring upon unwanted attention and we don't need that right now." Rick stared intently into Susan's eyes, which were showing obvious signs of pain. It hurt him to say these words and to see Susan on the verge of tears, because he couldn't hide the fact that he'd fallen in love all over again after thinking he'd lost his wife.

Susan swallowed hard, and was at a total loss of words when she tried to respond to Rick breaking up with her. Over time, their relationship had grown so much. She'd expected to join this new group and hoped to continue their strong relationship for a long time. But, Lori and Carl were there, and everything the two had shared dissolved into thin air. She stared into the darkness of the forest behind Rick before finally looking back at him. "It's fine Rick. I understand the position you're in, and I'm not about to interfere with your relationship with Lori." With that, she wiped a lone tear off of her cheek and turned back toward the tent she'd been given before Rick could say anything else.

Once stepping inside the tent, she released all of the tears she'd been holding in and sat down on her blankets. While weeping quietly to herself, she thought back on all the stages of love they had gone through: the first day they'd met, their first kiss, all of the fun memories they'd had even though they'd been caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and finally, the first time they had ever made love. She felt ridiculous for being so upset about what had happened, because she knew that there were far worse things that she should be worrying about. But, it was her first time ever experiencing true love, and her first time ever feeling heart break. She did however know that she had to get over it as soon as possible.

Shane had seen the exchange, and watched as Susan stepped into her tent with tears in her eyes. He hated to see the new girl upset. She was so beautiful and she didn't deserve to cry. He stood up and made his way to her tent. He didn't know what he was going to say to her, but he knew he had to comfort her somehow. He unzipped the door and looked inside.

"Hey there. Sorry to bother you… just thought I should properly introduce myself. The name's Shane Walsh. It's a pleasure to meet you." He stuck out his hand and watched as Susan quizzically shook his hand.

"Okay, well I'm Susan." She replied quietly. There was an awkward moment of silence before Shane finally spoke.

"I uh... I saw you and Rick talkin' just before, and then I saw you come back over here all upset. I know it ain't my business, but I was just wondering if I could do anything for you." Shane asked politely.

"I'm fine thanks. Don't worry about it." Susan said, annoyed that this complete stranger was trying to pry into her personal life.

"It's my job to keep everyone here safe and happy, so I will worry about it. Whatever it is, don't dwell on it." He said sweetly, smiling at her.

"Yeah, right. I'm going to get some rest now. Nice meeting you." Susan quickly replied, not in the mood for any sort of conversation. Shane got the hint and opened the door of the tent.

"Have a good night. And I'll see ya in the morning." He smiled and headed back toward the campfire. Susan stayed awake for a couple of minutes replaying everything that had just happened. She shook her head and lay down on the flat pillow she'd been given—hoping to get at couple hours of sleep.

The two brothers, Daryl and Merle, remained awake after the fire had been put out and nearly everyone had gone to sleep, keeping watch for any possible herds. Merle's eyelids were feeling heavy and he was about to call it a night on top of Dale's RV when he saw something shuffling toward the camp out of the corner of his eye. He immediately jumped up and signaled Daryl to quietly take the walker out without making a commotion. Daryl stood directly in front of the stray walker and jabbed his knife inside its skull. The walker cried out incoherently, shattering the silence of the moonlight hours—awakening nearby survivors. Rick quickly shot out of his tent to see what had happened. Daryl reassured him that it was nothing of concern, the odd walker passed through every now and then. As soon as Daryl had finished his sentence, they heard a horrifying scream coming from Carol; a small woman with short grey hair who had just came into view, running from her tent frantically. They rushed over toward the tent and were shocked to see that Carol's husband, Ed Peletier, was being mauled to death by what used to be two children. Merle climbed down from the roof of the RV, by which time everyone had woken up and were panicking when no one would answer their questions.

Lacy and Susan had shared a tent and jumped to their feet once they'd heard Carol's cry for help. With weapons in hand, they sprinted toward the scene and mentally prepared themselves for the worst. All of the survivors were now surrounding the tent, watching Rick and Daryl take out the children's bodies. Carol and her daughter Sophia continued to weep outside of the tent, refusing to see what was left of Ed. Andrea and Amy, two blonde sisters from Florida, consoled them and reassured them that they would get through the tragedy.

Susan had regretted stepping inside of the tent after seeing how mangled Ed's body was. She gagged at the sight of what had been left of him. She and Lacy quickly stepped outside of the tent only to be bombarded with questions from everyone. Lacy had gotten everyone's attention and calmly explained to the situation. Susan felt the sudden need to puke and had gone around the tent to do so. She got down on her knees as her body rejected everything that she had eaten while her mind kept replaying images of what she'd just seen. Since the apocalypse had begun, she'd never seen anything as gruesome. Once she had finally finished vomiting, she stood up once again while wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She noticed another walker creeping closer to her and reached into her pocket for her .22 caliber. As she got closer to the rotten man in a construction uniform, her mouth dropped open as she saw dozens of more walkers staggering up the hill toward the camp. Tripping over her feet, she ran back to where everyone else was crowded.

"WALKERS! A SHIT TON OF THEM COMING UP THE HILL!" Susan shouted out of breath while pointing to where she'd just come from. Everyone's attention went toward Susan as they stared at her with wide eyes and mouths agape.

"Fuck." Mumbled Merle.

"Okay quickly. Everyone find safe places to hide. Go Pile up in the RV, hide under the vehicles, or get in a tree if you can. Share any weapons you may have and use them only if necessary." Rick instructed as everyone had began to scatter.

"Ya'll ready to kill some motherfuckers?" Daryl said smoothly while aiming his crossbow at the first oncoming walker, shooting an arrow right through its eye.

"Damn straight." Shane answered coolly while raising his shotgun and taking out another one.

As the walkers began piling around the campground, Andrea had spotted a shovel close by and had dove for it just as a walker lunged for her, quickly thrusting the spade through the middle of its head. Shane and Lacy went for the more practical approach and had been shooting them down left and right, not wanting to risk anything. Susan on the other hand, was flying through the crowd, blade in hand, sharply and skillfully stabbing them in the skull as she went—not wanting to waste any of the few bullets she had left. She had learned a few tricks from Rick, who was watching her back and shooting any that were on her blind side. They may not be together anymore, but he still wanted to protect her. The entire time, the other survivors hid quietly and held their breath while the walkers made their way past them.

Dale, an older man who had lost his wife early in the apocalypse, had been with Andrea and Amy for a while, rescuing them from a dire situation. He'd protected them the best he could and was very useful to the entire group because of his high knowledge of mechanical things. He, Amy, Carol and Sophia were all keeping extremely quiet inside of the RV while the horde was passing through. Hearing the constant bullets being fired and groans from the dead had made them all anxious. After the sound of guns being shot had settled down, Amy got up from where she was and peeked out of the screen door to check on her sister. From the looks of things, it appeared that the walkers were all gone and they were safe. Peering out into the darkness, Amy could see that the fighters had their weapons down, and were giving each other looks of relief that they had cleared the horde without anyone else getting hurt. She eagerly burst through the door and made her way toward Andrea and the others, wanting to congratulate them. Dale jumped up; wanting to make sure that Amy's path was safe. As he got to the door, he was appalled to see a lonesome walker appear from behind a vehicle and come up behind her.

"AMY! WATCH OUT!" Dale screamed as he grabbed a plank of wood outside of the RV and rushed toward her. Amy turned around with a questioned expression on her face. The geek reached out its arms and grabbed a hold of Amy's neck. Amy yelped and tried to push it off, but it was too late. It sunk its black, rotting teeth inside of Amy's neck and ripped out a clean piece of flesh. An arrow came bursting through the dead man's head—causing it to fall to the ground a second too late. Andrea and Dale ran as fast as they could toward Amy, who was now holding her neck in agony while kneeling on the cold, hard soil.

"NO!" cried Andrea, whose face was wet with tears. She collapsed to her knees and held her little sister in her arms while Amy stared up into Andrea's eyes.

"I… I'm sorry." Amy whispered, her blood soaking both their shirts.

"Shh... it's okay, Amy. You'll be fine. You can live through this," Amy choked a laugh, blood coming out of her mouth as she did so. "I'll never let you go. You mean everything to me, sis. I love you so much. Please don't go." Andrea pleaded while the other survivors were watching, keeping their distance. Dale stood two feet in front of the two girls he loved most in what was left of the world, tears streaming down his face. He was at a loss of words, but figured it'd be best not to say anything. He wanted Andrea to have her final words with her young sister.

"I love you too." Amy replied very slowly while a lone tear crawled down her face. Her eyes began to get heavy as her heartbeat slowed. Andrea continued to hold her and tell her how much she loved her, knowing that her sister was slowly fading away. A few moments later, the quietness of the camp had been disrupted by a bullet being shot right through Amy's head. Andrea threw the gun on the ground and cried even more—still holding her deceased sister. She knew it was best to put her out of her misery, and most definitely did not want to see her come back as one of the dead. Before shooting Amy, she gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her she'd see her again someday.

A couple of hours after the catastrophe had ended, the sun began to rise, and most of the bodies had been gathered up and were ready to burn. Glenn Rhee, a young Korean man, and T-Dog, a large bald man with skin the colour of deep chocolate, had done most of the cleanup—feeling guilty about not helping out with the herd. No one spoke aloud about it, but it was very clear in their minds that where they were staying was no longer safe. It was time to pack up and move out.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, after packing everything the group had and piling it up into the six vehicles that they owned, everyone was ready to move on. No one knew where they were heading, or what their destiny was, but they knew that they had to stick together for as long as possible.

"Everyone ready to head out?" Rick asked while tossing the final bag in the back of the red 2011 Ram truck. The survivors all stood around and simultaneously nodded their heads in silence. Since the previous night's encounter with the walking dead, everyone had been even more on edge than usual and had barely spoken any words to one another. Carol and Sophia were taking their loss in an expected way; they sulked around the camp and were often caught with tears streaming down their cheeks. Andrea however, had taken the loss of her sister more severely: she hadn't moved from Amy's side for nearly six hours until Dale had finally been able to convince her that it was time to bury her sister. She had no emotion on her face while the survivors had held a small funeral for Amy, and what had been left of Ed's body. It was a sad day for everyone, but as crazy as it sounded, they were becoming immune to the feeling of losing their loved ones.

* * *

It had been days since the horde had come through their camp; they had moved further away from Atlanta, and had been stopped on the highway when Dale's RV broke down, leaving them stranded there until Dale and Glenn could repair the problem. Luckily enough, there was a forest next to the road, giving them some coverage from any type of bad weather and for possible hunting. There were also dozens of cars along the highway that had been abandoned and were full of supplies.

Lori, Carl, Carol, Sophia and T-Dog all decided to search together through the dozens of vehicles for food or anything else that could be useful while Dale and Glenn had begun repairing the engine. Andrea had still been moping around and decided to continue relaxing inside of the RV with the company of Lacy. Together, they shared good memories they'd had with their siblings before all hell broke loose. They bonded nicely and had practiced loading and reloading their guns—competing to see who could do it more quickly. Daryl and Merle were keeping watch on top of the RV again—still not trusting many people besides themselves.

* * *

Susan stood away from everyone and looked off into the distance of the city they'd just come from—coming back to another flashback of how she'd lost her family: Susan had panicked once her father had given her his .22 Caliber. She'd never held a gun in her own hands before, heck; she'd never even seen a real gun until then. She had no idea how to use it, but she prayed about never having to. Seconds later, she and her father had been disrupted after they heard her mother screaming from the kitchen as loudly as she could have imagined possible. She and her father winced at the loud noise and rushed to see what the commotion was. Mr. Norris, who was such a sweet old man and had been Susan's next door neighbour for 16 years, was on top of her mother—taking a piece of flesh from her right forearm.

"Hey Susan, you wanna come give Rick and I a hand out in the woods? We're gonna go and kill some nearby walkers before they get the chance to harm any of our people." Shane asked walking up behind her while startling her and making her come back to reality. Susan nodded her head and sighed. Shane smiled and signaled for her to follow him. Susan figured it would be best to get her mind off of things and it sounded like a good idea. Besides, there weren't many other options for her to choose from.

Susan felt a little awkward having to go into the forest with just Rick—whom she hadn't really spoken to since the night he had broken up with her, and Shane—the man who continued to try to get her attention and whom she barely knew. Rick and Shane walked a little behind Susan, allowing her to lead the way. They quietly conversed with each other about hoping to find a safe place soon. Shane then spoke a little louder, and casually asked Rick how things were going with him and Lori—knowing that Susan would be listening and would get a little discouraged in having to listen to what Rick would have to say. He had no idea what Rick had said to Susan the other night that made her so upset, but he was eager to try and find out.

"Everything's back to how it used to be. We're doing well." Rick answered. He was careful about not giving too much detail because he too knew that Susan would be listening and he didn't want to upset her more than he already had a couple of nights ago. Shane looked over at Susan, hoping she'd turn around to say anything to him. Realizing that she most likely wouldn't be in the mood to talk, he decided to start up the first conversation.

"Hey Sus, ya did well the other day when we fought those walkers back at the camp." he spoke loudly, anxiously awaiting her response. Susan continued to walk and said no more than a 'thank you'. Shane looked over at Rick with a confused glance and all Rick did was shrug.  
"Now Susan, hold up a minute." Rick said. Once Susan stopped and turned around to face him he continued, "I thought we had come to an understanding the other night once I got my wife and son back." He continued to stare at her while waiting for her to respond. Susan looked from Rick to Shane and back to Rick again while she answered him.

"Yes we did. I already told you that I understood. You wanna hear me say it again?" Susan said sternly while holding his gaze. She knew she was acting like a bitch but frankly, she didn't give a shit.

"Okay, all right… just making sure we're still on good terms." Rick said defensively. Susan quickly looked over at Shane's confused look once more before turning around again—knowing that Shane was totally oblivious as to what they were talking about.

"Whoa, what? You two had a thing?" Shane asked suspiciously, looking back and forth between Susan and Rick. Rick sighed and looked at Susan once she turned to look at the two of them again. Susan was excited to hear what Rick had to say.

"That doesn't matter right now Shane." Rick said while starting to walk ahead of him and walking past Susan, just wanting the conversation to end. Susan instantly spoke once Rick finished talking.

"Yes Shane. We were a thing up until we managed to find his wife and kid. I mean, I totally understand… I just wasn't expecting it to happen." Susan explained to Shane. Rick stopped in his tracks and gave Susan an angry look. "What? Are you embarrassed about it?" she said while staring deeply into Rick's eyes, showing no emotion.

"Now I didn't say that, I just don't need Lori and Carl finding out right now. That's all." He answered calmly. Susan shot him a disbelieving expression before responding.

"Whatever." Susan said while rolling her eyes. "I've had enough of the forest. I'm heading back to the others." She said while brushing past the two men and walking back toward the highway.

"Hold up!" Shane called after her while he jogged up beside her, leaving Rick behind. "What's your deal?" he tried to ask her politely. Susan stopped in her tracks and starred at him before saying anything.

"I'm sorry if I can't keep a fake smile on my face all of the time, Shane." She paused while trying to find the right words. "Don't know if you've noticed, but we're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse right now! I lost everyone that ever mattered to me besides Lacy, to those fucking freaks surrounding the Earth. You expect me to stay calm and happy 24/7? I'm having a hard time coping with everything I've lost, and I'm constantly wondering when my time to go is up. I know we're all in the same position right now, but just let me withdrawal from everything in my own way please. Oh, and please just stop trying to squeeze your ass into everyone's business!" She snapped at Shane.

She then sighed and shook her head after realizing she'd been a little harsh after noticing the shocked expressions planted on both Shane and Rick's faces. She looked back up at him and apologized. He gave her a reassuring smile, and pulled her into a large embrace. Rick stood awkwardly behind them while Shane comforted Susan. Susan let a couple of tears roll down her face, embarrassed about crying in front of the two officers. After letting go of Shane's embrace, she wiped the tears off of her face and gave him a crooked smile. She looked back at Rick who still stood there scoping out their surroundings. Shane patted Susan's back and gave her a reassuring grimace. The journey back to the highway was quiet, but Susan had caught herself smiling a couple of times after thinking about Shane's comforting ways. Maybe she'd been wrong about Shane…maybe he was a way better person than she had thought he was.

* * *

Back on the highway, Andrea and Lacy had continued to converse with one another and were actually having a grand time. They had just finished giggling about a past story Lacy had told her about her childhood and the pranks she and her brother used to pull on her parents—before they had left the world. Their laughs had eventually faded and there was a moment of complete silence, hearing the faint whistling of the wind and distinct murmurs from the other humans talking amongst themselves outside of the RV. Andrea then glanced at Lacy and broke the silence between the two of them.

"Thanks Lacy. Thank you for helping me get my mind off of things. It actually helped, and was exactly what I needed." She said with an honest tone in her voice and a small smile showing on her face. Lacy breathed in heavily and released a sigh.

"No problem Andrea. It's exactly what I needed too." She replied while smiling at the beautiful blonde woman in front of her.

* * *

"Hey little brother. Why don't you come down here and take a little walk with me?" Merle shouted from the ground and staring up on top of the RV where Daryl had been for the last few hours. The windows of the RV were open and Daryl had been listening to the conversations between Andrea and Lacy and had actually found himself smiling at some of the stories the girls had shared with each other. He was never one to eavesdrop but he couldn't seem to drag himself away and enjoyed hearing what the girls were saying to one another. He found out many interesting things about both of the girls that not many people seemed to know. He knew that Lacy's parents had been dead for many years and was technically adopted by her four older brothers who taught her everything she knew. He knew that she had an overly protective boyfriend before the plague began and had been sent to prison months before with the charges of theft and arson. She had no intent on staying with him once her boyfriend was released from jail but was thankful for never having to go through with the break up—assuming that he had become a member of the countless amounts of walking dead and would never see him again. He learned a few detailed facts about Andrea's life, but found himself being more interested in hearing what the young girl Lacy's life was like. He looked down at his older brother and shrugged.

"Yeah sure, why not? I'll be down in second." Daryl replied as he stood up and stretched his tired limbs. He gathered his crossbow and a water bottle and then climbed down a few steps and jumped off the rest of the way, landing smoothly on the pavement. With his crossbow never leaving his side, he and Merle began walking along the highway, catching up with each other.

"How've you been little brother? We ain't had much time to chat with each other." Merle stated while analysing the large variety of vehicles gathered together on the highway.

"Yeah. And I've been fine I guess. Much better than Carol, Sophia and Andrea…" Daryl answered while fiddling around with his crossbow. Merle nodded his head and took a sip from his water bottle. A moment later he stopped in his tracks and smiled widely.

"Well looky here! Ain't she beautiful?" Merle asked while jogging over and knocking his hand on a 2012 Mustang. "Rich bastards musta been pissed havin' to leave this beauty behind. Jesus Christ this thing's sweet!" Merle said excitedly. The man had a huge passion for vehicles and had always dreamt of owning such a car. "Man… couldn't ya just see me speeding down roads, crankin' some good tunes and drivin' this beast?" Merle asked while glancing at his brother with that huge grin still planted on his face. Daryl chuckled and shot a smile back at his brother.

"Yeah, yeah. I see it." Daryl replied coolly and continuing to walk again back toward the others. Merle caught up with his brother and glanced back at the Mustang one last time. He sighed heavily and stared at Daryl.

"So buddy, have ya got your eye on any of them fine ladies in the group?" Merle asked while smirking and continuing to stare. Daryl gave him a quick glance and looked ahead of himself before speaking, not wanting to hold his brothers gaze.

"Nah. No point." Daryl lied. He never bothered to waste his time on relationships before the apocalypse but figured he wouldn't mind having something similar before his time to go came up. "How 'bout you?" he asked his brother, not wanting Merle to question anything further.

"Of course. We've got quite a few fine ones, don't you agree?" before Daryl could answer, Merle kept talking. "Actually, between you and me, I wouldn't mind havin' a little fun with one of em' newcomers. They're both young, and they're both hot. And now you tell me this: what man hasn't fantasized about doing things with a much younger woman?" he continued to smirk while picturing it and staring off into the forest beside them. Daryl swallowed the rest of his water and didn't reply. His brother had a point about the fantasizing, but he wasn't about to agree with it. And he surely didn't want his brother harming either Lacy or Susan or anyone for that matter.

When arriving back at the RV they'd noticed that Shane, Rick and Susan had returned from the forest and had even been able to trap a wild turkey on their way back to the highway that they were all going to share with everyone for dinner. With the sun beginning to set, Shane, Rick, Daryl and Merle all began preparing the turkey while Susan joined Lacy and Andrea inside of the camper. The others all sat around close to one another and anxiously awaited their meal. Glenn and Dale had accomplished a lot that day and figured they could start moving again before noon the next day. The survivors had felt relieved for not having to deal with any walkers for a couple of days but had no idea that the movement of humans had drawn a huge amount of them and were getting closer and closer by each ticking minute.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning Glenn and Dale got to work as soon as the sun began to shine brightly in the sky. Nobody had a decent sleep during the night; they were all afraid and knew they were vulnerable because of being in a wide open area. Everyone was anxious to get moving in hopes of catching a break and finding some place safe. The sun was beaming down on them and there wasn't any wind—which made the weather very humid. Rick wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he approached the two men repairing the RV.

"Hey boys, how's it comin' along?" Rick asked, hoping for a good response. Dale looked over toward Rick and frowned,

"I'm afraid it's more damaged than we thought. There happens to be multiple issues with it and we're in need of some oil. Glenn and I were able to fix the main problem yesterday but unless we want it to break down again in a couple of miles we're gonna need to find a way to do a proper oil change without a garage." Dale replied. Rick released a heavy sigh after hearing the bad news.

"Well, continue what you're doin' and we'll figure something out…we always do." Rick said determinedly while walking past the two of them and heading to the others who were sitting on the pavement and leaning against cars, conversing with each other.

"Looks like we're gonna be stuck here longer than we expected. I need a couple of volunteers for syphoning oil from the cars all around us and completing an oil change on the RV. Dale said it's in desperate need of some newer oil. It'll take a while, but we're running out of ideas." Rick explained. Lacy and Daryl stood up at the same time. They both had some fair knowledge as to knowing how to change the oil on a vehicle and had a lot of experience. The two gave each other quick head nods and got to work right away. "As for the rest of us, I need a hand back in the forest. If this RV never perks up again we'll need to come up with a plan B. We can look for something in the woods…anything." He paused before continuing. "Shane and Susan, wanna come with? We did well yesterday. We'll go in the opposite direction that we went through yesterday." Shane and Susan agreed and gathered a couple of small, useful things and placed them inside of a backpack. "Now, the rest of you can continue to relax and keep your eyes peeled for any sort of danger." With that, the three of them turned around and headed for the forest. Carl instantly jumped up from where he was sitting and ran toward his father.

"Wait dad, let me go with you! I know I can help!" Carl whined, begging to join the three of them.

"No, Carl. Stay with your mother, protect her and the others, they need your help here." Rick insisted, patting his son on his shoulder to reassure him that he was needed there. Lori joined the pair and gave Rick a meaningful look. He knew what she wanted, and he felt terrible for denying Carl when he wanted to help out. He gave a small nod, put his hat on Carl's head, and handed him a 357 Magnum. "I'm trusting you, Carl. But I'll teach you how to properly shoot later." Carl's face lit up and he eagerly grabbed a bag of supplies, raring to go. "Only use it if you absolutely need to all right?" Carl nodded his head.

As they said their goodbyes and were heading for the woods, Merle caught their attention. He waved his arms and pointed to the road behind them. Dozens of walkers were making their way over, having no clue that their next meal was just ahead. Thinking quickly, Rick silently instructed everyone to hide. Full of panic, people hid in and under cars, Merle laid down on the roof of the RV, while Daryl, Andrea and Lacy ran inside the camper to take cover. Shane and Susan, being closer to the woods than the highway, ducked behind the brush, holding each other close and breathing shakily, keeping as silent as they could.

The walkers slowly shuffled between the vehicles, completely oblivious to the humans hidden all around them. Sophia, hiding alone under a van across from her mother and Lori, was in a panic, breathing heavily. Carol watched as the last two walkers made their way through a tight spot next to the van, tripping over one another and landing right next to her daughter. Having seen Sophia, the walkers went into a frenzy, clawing and grabbing at her. With tears in her eyes, she rolled to the opposite side and stood up, about to run. But there was a walker on that side that she hadn't seen and before she had the chance to escape, it bit into her neck. Lori held a hand over Carol's mouth as they watched Sophia fall to the ground, covering her mouth with her own hand to prevent any screams of pain; saving the others. Her head hit the ground, and she gave a last look to her mother as the three walkers began to feed on her. Rick, seeing what had happened, tried to save Sophia, taking out the walkers, but it was too late. She was gone.

When the other walkers were far enough away, people came out of hiding. Carol crawled over to her lifeless child, and hugged what was left of her, sobbing. Glenn put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. "I'm so sorry Carol, but you know what we have to do…" he whispered, lifting her to her feet. She nodded and buried her face in his shoulder, she couldn't watch. Rick took his blade from his belt, knelt down and reluctantly plunged it into Sophia's head. He stood, ran a hand through his hair and looked to the others.

"We need to go. We can't stay here any longer, it's way too dangerous. We need some fucking shelter!" Rick hissed while catching his breath and looking up toward the sky. "Susan, Shane, Carl, and I are going into the woods to see if we can find somewhere safe." He quickly kissed Lori and started toward the forest, the others following closely behind. Those left on the highway packed up their things and waited—absolutely terrified for their lives and what was yet to come.

* * *

Two hours passed, and they hadn't found anything amongst the trees. They hoped to have found something by now; a clearing, an abandoned building, anything. Shane walked ahead of the others, making sure the coast was clear. Susan joined him and they spoke in hushed tones, making sure Carl and Rick couldn't hear. They had grown very fond of each other from what had happened the previous day, and wanted to make sure that they were on the same page about where their relationship stood.

"So…what is this thing we have?" Susan asked sheepishly. Shane snickered and smiled at her.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. But I do know that I uh, I'm into you." He said while looking ahead. He then looked at her out of the corner of his eye and raised an eye brow. Susan looked down and smiled.

"I feel the same." She blushed.

"Good. Glad we're on the same—"he cut off mid-sentence while noticing near-by footsteps that were crushing leaves. The smile vanished from his face while he raised his arms, making Susan, Rick and Carl instantly stop in their tracks.

"Walker!" Carl shouted while anxiously pointing the gun Rick had given to him for their search toward a lone walker just 10 yards away.

"Carl, don't!" Susan hissed at him. Carl was so caught up in the moment he hadn't realized what she'd said. He pulled the trigger. The gun recoiled and jerked to the right, missing the walker, instead hitting Susan's right side, just under her ribcage. Susan fell to her knees in agony. Tears fell as she held her hand to the wound and saw the red stain growing on her shirt. Shocked, Shane instantly ran to Susan's side and picked her up in his arms, careful not to cause her too much pain. Rick took out the walker that Carl had meant to shoot with his blade and grabbed Susan's things. They had to move fast; her wound would bleed out and the gunshot would attract any surrounding walkers.

"Let's go." Rick ordered sternly, giving his son a serious glare and nodding for Shane to follow him.

* * *

The heat was getting to people back on the highway. All they could do was wait; the sun beating down on them. Glenn and Dale were almost done with the front part of the RV, having all the tools and parts he needed from looting cars. After a couple of tries, Daryl and Lacy had finally been able to drain the old, black oil from the bottom of the RV and replaced it with newer oil that they had scavenged from some of the other vehicles. T-Dog helped Andrea clear a path for the camper to get through the cluster of vehicles, and Merle continued to keep watch.

Lori watched Carol from a distance, full of concern. She didn't know what she would do if she lost Carl, and now Carol had lost everyone. But she showed no emotion on her face. From what Lori could see, she was in a whole other world. No one knew how to approach her and they didn't want to disturb her, so they just left her the way she was. She would heal in her own way, and no one would interfere. Instead Lori decided to join Andrea and T-Dog; they were taking a break from moving cars.

"How do you think they're doing out there?" Lori asked concerned, staring into the deepness of the forest.

"I'm sure they're just fine. They've all got great heads on their shoulders." Andrea replied soothingly.

"I sure hope you're right." Lori said while rubbing her eyes and stretching.

"Don't worry 'bout it Lori. Like Andrea jus' said, they're all strong and wouldn't let anything happen to one another." T-Dog said reassuringly while patting his large hand on Lori's back.

* * *

"You sure know a fair amount about cars huh?" Daryl asked Lacy, surprised at how well they had worked together. He loo ked her over; her curly red hair, her freckles, scars, and finally her lips. He studied them closely, a small smile playing on his face. When Lacy looked toward him he quickly glanced away and scratched and itch on his chest.

"Yup. I know many useful things. I've been taught a lot over the years." She took a sip out of her water bottle before continuing. "You ain't too bad yourself." Lacy replied while winking at him and leaning against the RV—relieved that they were finally finished with the oil change. Now they all just had to wait for Rick, Shane, Carl and Susan to return so they could be on their way. Daryl stared back at her, thinking up a question to ask her.

"Where'd you learn all this stuff? Back when we first ran into each other you had caught yourself a fine coyote, you're good with weapons and you know your stuff 'bout cars and shit…pretty impressive for such a young gal." he looked down at the ground and awaited her response.

"Well, all four of my brothers are six, eight, ten and eleven years older than I am and my parents worked a lot when they were still alive, so they were never home. They were often gone on business trips—knowing very well that my brothers would always protect me from anything and they ain't had nothing to worry about." She paused to tie her hair up into a pony-tail. "So that meant I had spent lots of time with my brothers. Once I was old enough, they had begun teachin' me little things like ridin' a bike, playin' baseball and even hockey. With age, I got taught more complex things like learnin' how to hunt, how to repair cars and other technological shit. With time I had a great knowledge for useful things in the world that have helped me get this far in such a fuckin' awful time." She paused again and yawned—the sun was still draining them all with its heat. "Eventually, they had all moved out and got jobs or went to college. When my parents died in a car crash my oldest brother, Jamie, offered to let me live with him, his wife and his son. Unfortunately, once the plague had begun, Jamie lost his family. The two of us still hid out in his apartment for the longest time and kept contact with my other brothers up until the damn phone lines were cut off." She glanced up at Daryl and made sure he was keeping interest. When looking at the intense expression on his face and how eager he was for her to finish, she continued. "Anyway, I wasn't feelin' well one day so he went out alone in search of some more food…and never came back. I waited until the next day but there was still no sign of him. I collected a few things and went out to search for him—which is when I ran into Susan who had been fendin' for herself for days. It was fuckin' amazin' that we had found each other but I still have no idea what ever happened to Jamie. Guess I won't ever find out." Daryl stared at Lacy for a few seconds in silence.

"Well holy shit, you're a lot tougher than you look, Red." He replied while smiling and gently tapping her shoulder with his fist while walking past her and staring into the woods. "Now I don't know what the hell is takin' em' so long but they better get back here soon."

* * *

"WE NEED TO GET HER HELP NOW!" Shane yelled, holding Susan in his arms. Her wound was bleeding a lot and if she didn't get help soon, there was no doubt that she would eventually die of blood loss. Carl paced back and forth, feeling terrible for what he had done. They were all guarded as the smell of Susan's blood would attract walkers, and kept their eyes and ears open for any noises or movement around them.

"I don't know what to do, Shane! There's nowhere to go!" Rick yelled while holding his hands behind his head.

"Hey!" shouted an unfamiliar voice from behind them. Shane, Rick and Carl whipped their heads around and met eyes with a plump man and a tall lanky adolescent whom they'd never seen before. "I'm Otis and this here is Jimmy. We've gotta farm back a little that way." The man told them out of breath, while pointing behind himself. "We were out huntin' when we heard a gunshot and immediately came running over here to see what the commotion was." he said while staring at Susan who had recently passed out, still in Shane's arms.

"Will you take us there? Please! She needs help, NOW." Begged Shane while staring intently in Otis' eyes.

"Yes, sure, of course. It's not too far, but you gotta follow me." Otis instructed while turning around and began hustling back toward the farm. Without a word, the three of them instantly began following the two strangers, thankful that they had been around.

Like Otis had said, they were closer to the farm than they thought they'd been. It only took about ten minutes for them to arrive to their destination. The four of them hurriedly ran across the nearly empty field toward an old farm-house, Shane still carefully holding Susan tightly in his arms. There were some other people standing around outside doing their own thing, but instantly panicked once they'd noticed that Otis had brought home four strangers. They all eagerly questioned him, but Otis and the others ignored all of them while storming through the front door. Jimmy stayed behind and quickly began explaining everything he knew to all of them.

"HERSHEL?!" screamed Otis while stepping inside of the living room. Hershel, an older man who was obviously the owner of the home, quickly stood up from his chair and quizzically examined the four new people who were standing right in front of him with terrified looks in their eyes.

"Was she bitten?" Hershel asked them while examining Susan.

"No sir, my son…" Rick sighed before continuing, "My son accidentally shot her." Carl looked to the ground, wiping away tears from his eyes.

"Can you help her?!" asked Shane impatiently.

"Quickly, follow me." Hershel demanded while walking past all of them, heading toward a near-by bedroom. They all rushed into the room and Shane gently placed Susan onto the bed, whispering into her ear that everything was going to be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The rest of the group on the highway had no idea that one of their members had recently been shot. Shane, Rick, Carl and Susan had been too far deep into the forest for them to of heard the gun shot that raced out of Carl's gun and inside Susan. They all continued to wait impatiently for the four of them to return with good news. Unfortunately, it had already been five hours since they'd left and they all felt equally worried. Lori had finally gotten Carol to drink some water and to socialize with her. Once Carol began talking about how much she was going to miss her daughter, she immediately burst into tears once again, but it was obvious that she was going to be on edge for a very long time and everyone had to accept it.

The heat continued to be unbearable so a couple of them rested inside of the RV which unfortunately wasn't any cooler. Andrea, Glenn, T-Dog and Dale mingled with one another inside of the RV while Merle took a nap on the bed inside of it. Daryl and Lacy were enjoying the heat and lounged around outside. It had been quiet for a while as the two of them listened to birds chirping and the quiet cries coming from Carol. Daryl decided to break the silence and asked Lacy the first question that popped into his mind.

"Favourite band?" Daryl inquired while glancing at Lacy who was sitting cross-legged on the pavement and taking in the heat. She smiled and stared up at Daryl who was leaning on the side of an old Chevrolet.

"The Doors…no competition." Lacy answered while stretching her legs out. "Favourite food before all of this?" Daryl sat down beside Lacy before answering her question.

"Uh…squirrel." He answered slowly while smirking to himself.

"Squirrel? Seriously?" Lacy giggled. She hadn't known what to expect from him.

"Hey! I didn't have no suburban upbringin' like some folks..."He smirked, looking at her suggestively. Lacy playfully smacked his arm and laughed. "Did you have a boyfriend?" Daryl asked quietly, avoiding her eyes. He already knew the answer but wanted to hear her say it to him.

"Matter of fact I did, his name was Kyle." Daryl's head lowered in disappointment, but she continued. "He was one of those guys that started out being real sweet and perfect and then slowly started to show me his true personality. He was immature, sexist and a fuckin' stupid son of a bitch. One day, he thought it'd be funny to start a fire in our chemistry class—just to get a few laughs outta his buddies. It got outta control and my teacher Mr. Blake fuckin' lost it." She giggled to herself after remembering something. "Susan had the biggest crush on that teacher…it was the funniest thing." She shook her head as the smile on her face faded. "Anyway, Susan and I had to quickly call the fire department and it was just really bad. Since he'd failed his tenth grade he was old enough to be sent to actual jail and not juvee." She stared off into the distance before continuing. "I was actually planning on leaving him the day the walkers showed up. I hope he's a rotten member of the undead by now."

"Wow, I'm sorry Lace. Maybe you'll find someone better than that." He caught her gaze, a slight hint of hope in his eyes that she caught.

"Maybe I already have." She smiled and looked down at the ground.

* * *

After Shane had gently placed Susan onto the bed, he backed off—knowing that Hershel needed his space in order to examine her. Shane and Rick continuously shot evil glares toward Carl, making Carl feel even worse about the whole situation. He sat in a chair close by, weeping quietly to himself.

Rick also felt extremely awful about the whole incident, and new that once he had the time and privacy he would apologize and hope that Susan would someday forgive his son. He couldn't help but feel like it was his own fault for allowing his inexperienced son to carry a gun. He knew that he should've taught him how to control a gun before ever thinking about letting him carry one around. If Carl had known how to properly aim and shoot the weapon, this never would have happened and she'd still be healthy. He continued to stare at Hershel examining Susan and hadn't said one word to Carl since they'd arrived at the farm. Even though Rick loved his wife, he couldn't help but feel extremely pained by the fact that Susan's life was on the line, he still had feelings for her deep down.

"She needs blood. She's losing it way too quickly. She's gonna need more blood transferred into her system before I can do anything else." Hershel paused while attaching her to an IV that would transfer blood from someone else to her. "Any volunteers? Quickly!" he demanded.

"I'll do it; we have the same blood type." Rick answered instantly, getting up to his feet. Shane glared at Rick, surprised. Hershel quickly hooked Rick up and began transferring his blood into Susan's veins. Shane watched nervously as Susan laid on the bed still unconscious, her blood slowly staining the sheets. He didn't know why Rick knew her blood type but he was glad he did, and was relieved that he had the same type. This didn't fully comfort him, though. He leaned in the doorway, chewing his nails and keeping his eyes on Susan's face—praying just to see her eyes open.

With some pressure they were able to slow her bleeding long enough to stitch her up. The bullet had gone in her side and out the back, she was lucky. Rick's blood helped, giving her enough strength to stay alive. She was in pain, having no medication to dull it or speed the healing. Hershel looked over at Rick,

"Y'all have anyone else with you? Might as well bring 'em on over. Your friend here is gonna need a while to get her strength up and you boys don't look like you're in the best state yourselves."

"Yes sir, we have a group down on the highway, one of our vehicles broke down and we were just looking for a new place to stay safe. We appreciate this very much." He turned to face Shane. "Shane, go back and let everyone know what's happened. Bring Otis along so he can show you the way back here on the road, bring along the RV with all of our supplies." Rick instructed while sitting on a chair and leaning closely beside Susan.

"Good plan. Let's get going Otis." Shane replied while walking toward the door. He stopped in front of Susan and leaned in beside Rick. "Take good care of her, Hershel. Please." He gently pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. He and Otis quickly left the house and jumped in a truck, making their way to the others back on the highway.

Hershel decided to leave Rick alone with Susan. He informed his family of the situation and put away all his medical supplies—content with his accomplishment. Carl followed Hershel outside of the room to go and get a drink of water. Now alone in the room with her, a lone tear feel down his face as he held Susan's hand. After everything the two had been through together, he wasn't ready to let her go.

* * *

Shane and Otis sped down the highway, Otis knowing the area well could easily figure out where the group was situated, even as the sun was setting. Lacy and Daryl had spotted them first. Shane jumped out of the truck as soon as it stopped moving and he began to explain what had happened. By the time he introduced Otis, the rest of the group made their way to Shane. Everyone was in shock once they'd heard what Shane had to say about Susan's incident. They all seemed worried— all except Lori. She stood there without saying a word, with the slightest smirk on her face before she quickly covered it up.

All the supplies were ready and packed for hours; all they had to do was jump in a car and follow Shane and Otis down the highway. Thanks to T-Dog and Andrea, all of the abandoned vehicles had been moved aside to make a clear path. T-Dog hopped in his SUV, Carol and Lori joined Glenn in a 4x4 and Andrea jumped in the RV with Dale and Lacy, Daryl and Merle close behind on their motorcycles. The group was relieved to have found safety, and didn't mind the half hour drive to the farm.

When they arrived, they were met by Hershel, who told them how Susan was doing and what their arrangements were. They were to stay outside for the night and to keep a distance between themselves and his family, just to be safe. He generously provided them with a fair amount of food and water. They were allowed inside the house to visit Susan and wash up, one at a time. Lori decided to go first, having already caught up with her son.

* * *

In the bedroom, Rick had been reattached to the machines, his blood slowly making its way through the tube. This was the third time he had done this since they had arrived, and it was taking a lot of energy out of him. He didn't mind though, as long as it kept Susan's strength up. He was extremely tired, but refused to fall asleep. He didn't want to miss Susan once she had finally woken up. He was growing impatient and continuously stared at her chest moving up and down—just to make sure she was still breathing. He whispered to her every so often but still hadn't gotten a reply yet. Before he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard someone knock on the door.

"Come in." he turned to see his wife entering the room. "Hey Lori… ya'll made it back here safely?"

"Yup." She glared at him before continuing. "Now, is there a reason you're ignoring our son and treating him like a stranger? Don't you think that's a little immature?"

"What Lori, you want me to congratulate him for shooting an innocent woman after she told him not to fire the gun? I had clearly told him to use it only if it was necessary. I am not about to take that lightly. She could've died if Otis and Jimmy hadn't found us, and I don't think I could live knowing that my son killed a harmless human being. He knows we never shoot stray walkers-we take them down quietly without wasting any bullets! He knows that." Rick said angrily while breathing heavily.

"Oh Rick he was just excited! All he wanted to do was impress you guys—especially his father. He tries to be just like you. He admires you so much, and now that he's made a mistake you're gonna act like your twelve years old and ignore him?! Grow up Rick! It's not like she's all that important anyway!" Rick shot his eyes up at Lori with disbelief.

"Excuse me? Not important? How could you even say that?! Everybody in our group is important whether you think so or not Lori. You're saying I'm acting like a child? Take a look at your fucking self for Christ sake! You give her dirty looks all the time and you've never even given her a chance! You judge everyone before you even get a chance to know them!" he shouted back at her.

"Oh shut the hell up, Rick. I know the only person you care about right now is her. I see the way YOU stare at her. Hell, you even look pained when she and Shane are chatting with each other for Christ's sake! I'm not stupid, and I'm done with it. That little cunt has fucked up everything we once had and you know it. You either man up and realize that your priorities are with your family and get over that bitch, or-"Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wasn't in the mood for continuing this argument. If she said one more negative thing toward Susan, he was going to lose it.

"Shut the fuck up Lori. You have no right to be talking shit right now. Our son just shot her and you don't even feel sympathetic? That's just sick. She has done nothing but good for this group and I won't hear this shit from you anymore." He shook his head in disgust. "Oh and you're concerned with my priorities? My priority is keeping this group alive. Show a little remorse once and a while and get the fuck over yourself! " He gave her a glare and looked back at Susan on the bed, ending their argument. "I'll talk to Carl later." Lori turned and walked briskly down the hall and out the front door. Rick sat there and grabbed Susan's hand once again.

"I'm so sorry, Susan. She doesn't know what she's talking about half the time." He stopped to wipe a tear from his eye. "I really should've taught him how to use a gun first... I should've never given it to him... This is entirely my fault." He muttered to himself, his head bowed.

"It's not your fault. Don't blame Carl either, he didn't mean to, I know he didn't." Rick's head whipped up to meet Susan's eyes staring right at him. Rick's face lit up as more tears continued to roll down his cheeks. Embarrassed, he looked down and rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"You had me really worried for a little while there, Susie." Rick whispered. He had started calling her that only a couple of days after he had found her and Lacy months ago. Ever since he'd been back with Lori, he'd rarely say more than a couple of words to Susan—almost as if he was avoiding her.

"You know me. I'm stronger than I look." Susan joked while comfortingly rubbing his head. She winced in pain, realising that it would be a while until she could move around as easily as she used to. Rick looked up at Susan and held her gaze for a long moment before speaking.

"I'm sorry for rarely talking to you anymore. I've just been…busy." He looked away, knowing that his excuse was pathetic. "And I'm sorry for everything you may have heard just a couple of minutes ago."

"I know. Don't worry about me. It's a miracle you found your wife and son and I'd never try and take that away from you. I know you're happy with them, and that makes me happy. I just wish Lori would understand that… but besides, I am growing pretty fondly of Shane anyways." Susan said while smiling. "Thanks for doing this by the way." She quickly changed the subject while gesturing toward the IV. "But… where are we?"

Rick explained to her everything that she'd missed while she was unconscious. He told her that Hershel had done most of the work, and that he had practically saved all of their lives by inviting the rest of the group back to the farm. They were both extremely grateful for Otis and Jimmy as well, for they were the two that found them in the first place and had rushed them back to their home. Susan had fallen asleep quickly after their conversation, and Rick had also fallen asleep in his chair soon after—holding Susan's hand for his own comfort as well as being pleased that he hadn't lost her.

As the day was coming to an end, Rick's transfusion was finally done and Hershel was confident that Susan was going to be just fine after all. Everyone had become acquainted with one another and the group from Atlanta finally felt safe for the first time in a very long time. After Lori had left the room and Rick and Susan had fallen asleep, Shane came in and waited patiently for Susan to wake up again. He felt angered about seeing the two of them holding hands, but figured he'd just have to deal with that later once he was alone with Rick.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Three weeks had passed and everyone was well adjusted to their new life on the farm even though they knew it wasn't permanent. Susan had healed well and was walking around just fine. The group was grateful for Hershel's helpful hand and hospitality. The Greene family had provided the survivors with food, water, and basic necessities that kept the group feeling sane and human. Glenn and Hershel's eldest daughter Maggie had become close and were spending a lot of time together, sneaking off when no one was looking. Lacy, Daryl and Merle had set up camp further away from everyone else, preferring to be on their own. The three of them got along nicely and the two brothers didn't mind having some female company. They hunted their own food as well, not wanting to depend on Hershel's family for survival.

Shane had helped Susan every step of her recovery. He would bring her food and sit at her bedside until she was able to walk around on her own, but he would always be close behind. Shane had also been keeping an eye on Rick. He knew that Rick still harbored feelings for Susan and he wanted Rick to keep his distance. Susan and Shane had grown a strong relationship and he didn't want Rick to ruin the progress he'd made. Shane knew that if it had come down to it, Susan would choose Rick over him any day—which made him hate Rick even more.

* * *

Lacy and Daryl had just finished polishing both Merle and Daryl's motorbikes with a bit of shoe grease that Hershel had lying around the house.

"Hey Lace, what do ya think of Shane? He's been actin' kinda strange lately…" Daryl asked while glancing over at Shane having a conversation with Rick and Lori in front of the Greene house.

"I don't know… I'm pretty sure he's just jealous of Rick's leadership since he, Susan and I joined our group—considering he used to be the one in charge." She paused while looking in the same direction of Daryl. "I'll just ask Susan later on… She'll probably know."

"I can't believe Susan's even with that guy." Daryl said while shaking his head and preparing his cross bow before going to hunt. "I'm tellin' ya, he ain't a good guy. I just know it." He and Lacy both sighed while Daryl picked up a couple of extra arrows. "Anyway, I'm gonna go get us some dinner. I'll be back inna bit."

"Sounds good." Lacy replied while standing up and fixing her navy blue t shirt. As Daryl walked into the forest, she watched Merle approach her with an odd expression on his face.

"So I gotta little question for ya, Miss Lacy." Merle said while leaning against a large oak tree and playing with his pocketknife. Lacy stared at him and waited for what he was about to ask. "You and Susan ever have some pillow fights in a couple of sexy nighties?" he grinned slyly and awaited her response.

"What the fuck are you talking 'bout?" Lacy asked with a disgusted tone and glared at him with angry eyes—not liking where the conversation was leading.

"I'm just curious what two beautiful young ladies got up to late at night. Your friend there's a fine piece of ass and I'd love to have a go with that." He said while raising an eyebrow and winking at her.

"You're a fuckin' pig. Stay away from her, Merle." Lacy said through gritted teeth—defending her best friend. He glared at her and bit his lip before replying.

"Oh don't you worry, sunshine. I'll get her eventually… I always do." He chuckled and spit on the ground before turning around and settling his gaze on Susan sitting alone in the long grass away from everybody else. "And now's the perfect time for me to get things started." He grinned and looked back at Lacy to view her reaction.

"Think again." She said while pointing toward Shane who had ended the conversation with Rick and Lori and began walking in Susan's direction. Merle sighed in frustration.

"Fucker." He whispered under his breath.

* * *

For the first time in a couple of months Susan couldn't stop thinking about her family and what had happened to them. She dozed off and replayed most of the entire encounter for the thousandth time. After finding Mr. Norris on top of her mother, her father jumped on the man and pinned him down onto the ground. Her mother winced in the amount of pain she was in and cried uncontrollably while lying on the kitchen floor. Susan and her siblings rushed to her side not having any idea as to how they could help. Seconds later, their father screamed out in pain as he himself had gotten bitten by their once friendly and innocent neighbour. Susan's little sister Emily was only six and screamed at the top of her lungs because of what she'd just witnessed. Susan acted quickly and aimed the gun at Mr. Norris before pulling the trigger and sending a speeding bullet out of the .22 and inside of the dead man's skull. Her siblings automatically covered their ears and dropped to the ground on their knees in unison. Both of their parents lay suffering together on the ground and eventually, their time to go had come. Susan now felt an immense amount of pressure, for she had no idea how she would be able to protect herself and her siblings with just one gun and no experience.

"Hey good lookin'. What're you doin' over here all alone?" Shane said while staring down at her with a huge smile planted on his face. Susan came back to reality once again and looked up at Shane.

"Hey you. Uh, I guess I'm just getting some alone time… thinking about random things," She gazed at him and smiled. "Come sit beside me." she instructed while patting the ground beside her. Shane glanced around the area before responding, meeting eyes with Merle who was glaring at him from afar. Shane winked and looked back down at Susan. He knew what Merle thought of Susan but would never let him come close enough to her to try anything—which is mainly why he never let her out of his sight. That, and of course his worries about Rick trying anything as well.

"Yeah sure, I was gonna practice some shooting with Andrea but this may be a little more fun." he grinned while taking a seat beside her. "How've you been feeling lately?" he asked Susan while she rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his muscular arm around her toned body.

"I've been feeling much better actually. How about you?"

"Exhausted. And honestly," he shook his head angrily before speaking again. "I'm getting real sick of Rick and his whole bullshit leadership. Before he showed up people put their trust in me. They came to me when there were issues and everybody just had a little goddamn faith in me." He sighed and shook his head again while releasing his arm from around Susan as his anger built up. "I mean, don't get me wrong—he is my best friend and I'm happy he's alive… but he's just taken a lot from me. And it's just… it's fucking annoying is what it is." Susan hesitated before speaking—looking for the right words to comfort him.

"I understand what you're feeling. I don't understand why everyone automatically goes to him for help either. I mean, you're just as responsible and as strong as he is. I guess… I guess that's just the way it goes. I still think you're the best though." She smiled while looking at him and leaned in for a kiss. Shane looked away from her and stood up.

"Piss off Susan. Don't lie to me." He hissed, looking down at her with anger in his eyes.

"Excuse me? How am I lying to you?!" Susan asked, insulted. She stood up quickly and faced him, a confused look on her face. _Why did he think I was lying?_

"Fuck off. I'm not in the mood to hear you give fake sympathy to me. I'm tired of it!" He quickly turned away to walk back toward the house.

"Fuck you Shane. Get your fucking issues sorted out." She brushed passed him, knocking his shoulder. While Susan stormed back toward the house, everybody on the farm heard a terrified scream. They all instantly knew that the scream came from Carl and watched as he ran toward Rick from the barn beside the house. People ran from all over the property to see what was wrong.

* * *

"Carl?! What happened?!" Rick yelled, running toward his son. He had a knife ready in his hand when he arrived, looking around for the threat.

"The barn! It's full of them. Full of walkers! I was just exploring and I went up to the hay loft, there's a whole bunch in there, dad!" Carl explained with a panicked expression etched onto his face.

"What in the…HERSHEL! HERSHEL GET OUT HERE!" The group had gathered around the front of the barn and shared panicked whispers, grabbing any nearby weapon.

"What's the commotion out he—" Hershel stopped short when he stepped onto the porch and saw everyone standing at the barn. "Y'all weren't supposed to know about that." He said slowly, holding his daughters behind him as they came outside and shaking his head.

"Do you mind explaining why there's a whole barn full of walkers?" Rick asked, trying to stay as calm as possible. A few gasps were breathed within the group and some lifted their weapons. Daryl had returned from his hunt and, noticing the confrontation, ran towards them.

"What in the hell is goin' on here?" Demanded Daryl as he looked over the scared faces of his peers.

"The barn is full of walkers." Andrea answered.

"It ain't what you think. Those are our friends, our neighbours… our family. What if there's a cure? They could still be in there somewhere. My wife and son are in there." Hershel explained, hugging his weeping daughters closer.

"They aren't themselves anymore, Hershel; the people they once were are gone. You have to understand that they are a danger to us all. I have a responsibility to keep my people safe. We have to get rid of them." Said Rick, walking toward the barn doors. Hershel's daughter Beth screamed, and buried her face in her father's chest, not wanting to watch what was about to happen.

"Rick, stop!" Shouted Susan. Rick froze and turned towards her, a look of confusion on his face. "You can't do this! Hershel's family is in there, it's not right. This is their farm; it's not fair for us to make decisions for them. You've never had to kill your own family. It's the hardest thing a person can do! I would know." She wiped a solitary tear from her cheek and looked to Andrea, who nodded solemnly and lowered her head. Everyone turned their heads in Susan's direction and seemed shocked at the discovery that Susan had been forced to kill her family. Andrea then spoke up to comfort Susan.

"She's right, Rick. You can't do this to them." Andrea complied. Rick sighed and looked to Hershel and his family, feeling ridiculous for even thinking of that solution. He couldn't imagine having to shoot Lori or Carl and he didn't know how Susan, Andrea or anyone else for that matter had pulled through with it. He lowered his weapon and nodded, starting to walk away.

"Are you kidding me? You're gonna put all of our lives in danger? Fuck that!" Shane shouted, storming towards the doors of the barn. He shot the lock off the chains and opened the doors, backing up and readying his rifle. Andrea, Susan, Lacy, Daryl, and Rick quickly raised their weapons. Glenn hesitated before lifting his rifle, giving Maggie an apologetic look; she nodded hastily with tears streaming down her face before she buried herself in the comfort of her fathers arms, and he quickly joined the action. The walkers filed out and they shot them down as they stepped out into the Georgia sun.

After a couple more minutes had passed the gun shots had stopped and a large pile of walkers lay down in front of the barn. There was a moment where the only thing that was heard was the sobs from the Greene family.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Shane?!" Lacy raged while everyone stared at him with disappointment. Shane ignored her and looked at the pile of walkers lying in front of him. Susan couldn't believe what had just happened, walking angrily over toward Shane and glaring at him with tears forming in her eyes. She slapped him across the face with force and he stared back at her with hurt in his eyes, automatically raising his right hand up to his face.

"How could you Shane?" Susan's voice broke while wiping away the tears that had begun falling one after another.

"I…" Shane couldn't think of anything to say. The rest of the group all shook their heads as they walked away and gave the Greene's their sympathy. Susan shot a venomous look and turned away from Shane.

"I swear to God Shane, I should just kill you right here. Get your head out of your ass. Why don't you ever think before you act?!" Lacy hissed over her shoulder, following Susan back to the camper.

"Why am I the bad guy here?! I did what was best for the group! I saved everyone's asses! What if all of 'em walkers busted outta the barn and killed some of us? Huh?!" Shane shouted while throwing his gun on the ground in front of him in frustration. "I did the RIGHT thing here!"

"Not right by them." Dale replied while gesturing toward Hershel and his two daughters. "You really upset a lot of people just now."

"Shut the fuck up ya old man." Shane kicked the ground and headed toward the camper. He burst through the door and glared at Susan. "Come here." Shane instructed while pointing in front of him.

"Piss off Shane. You really think she's in the mood to go with you?" Lacy . interrupted.

"Was I talking to you, redneck?" He spat. "Susan, baby, please come with me. I need to talk with you. Please." A moment later Susan sighed and stood up, sharing a look with Lacy as she headed out the door. Shane led her away from the peering eyes and into the woods, walking fast.

"Why are you taking me here? This is pretty far from the farm..." She pointed out. They had gone farther than usual and he was fuming; it made her feel uneasy.

"I just... I needed to get away from everybody... Away from Rick. I'm sorry I did what I did but you know we couldn't have that many walkers in there; the door wouldn't hold forever."

"I understand, I just think you could've been a little more considerate. Rick was trying to-"

"RICK! Rick, Rick, Rick! That's all I ever hear! WHO MADE HIM LEADER?! Whatever happened to me, huh? I was a great leader! And YOU! I can tell you still have feelings for him, goddamn it! Don't you dare lie to my face again." He seethed. Susan just stared at him in awe and said nothing; she knew that whatever she said would only make it worse. He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to decipher her thoughts. He searched but found nothing; her gaze stayed strong and unrevealing. In aggravation he grabbed Susan and pushed her against a nearby tree, his hand firmly surrounding her throat. "Why won't you answer? Is it 'cause you're afraid you'll get caught up in your lie? He doesn't want you anymore, honey. He's a married man. Get it through your head AND GET OVER HIM."

"Let me speak for myself, Shane." He turned to face the person he least wanted to see. Rick stood behind the pair, a gun pointed in Shane's direction. "Let her go."

"What, you gonna shoot me? After all these years, everything we've been through, are you really gonna shoot your best friend?"

"My best friend died a long time ago; I don't know who you are anymore." Shane felt as if he had just been slapped across the face for a second time. He released his grip on Susan and stepped away, a pained look in his eyes. Silence lingered between the three of them for a long moment.

"I don't know who I am anymore either, Rick. I'm sorry to both of you." He gave Susan a pleading glance. He stared back at Rick while speaking again. "Just don't take away the one thing I have Rick, I need her." Rick stared at his partner in silence for a couple of minutes, collecting the right words. After almost losing Susan he had realised that he loved her more than he'd ever loved anyone—even Lori. He couldn't let this chance pass and figured he was in the proper position to express his feelings.

"I can't promise you that. I love her, Shane." Shane and Susan looked up at him in shock, their mouths hanging open as his words sunk in.

"Excuse me?" Lori gaped, having hear the exchange; she had come into the forest to collect firewood. Rick hadn't seen her and turned slowly, hating himself for saying what he just confessed. She crossed her arms, "You better not be talking about that bitch." She nodded her head in Susan's direction.


End file.
